Hi everybody and welcome! I hope everybody had a safe and delicious Halloween. The weather was for the most part nice although we did have some scattered heavy showers pass through. My wife and I had a wonderful time at the Seminole Casino in Brighten where she had the honor of judging their Halloween costume contest. We also tried our luck at the many slot machines in the casino. All in all it was a very enjoyable evening.
The Atlantic hurricane season is now officially on the downside with less then a month to go. The season ends November 30th. Even so, we still have some activity we are watching. The latest is, believe it or not, the remnants of tropical storm Nicholas. The area is now a well-defined low-pressure center that is located about 500 miles east of Palm Beach. The area is moving toward the west and may become a tropical storm at any time. The area is presently moving over warmer waters and if it redevelops will affect some part of Florida. Southern Florida or perhaps south central Florida will most likely be the area of landfall if the storm develops. This will be watched carefully. The rest of the tropics look quiet and tropical storm development is not expected elsewhere.
Last week I talked a little about how to pick and plant your rose bushes. This week I would like to give a few tips on caring for your prize plants. Proper watering and fertilizing are vital components to getting the most out of your plants. You should water your plants thoroughly three times a week. It is always best to water in the early morning and always try to keep the water off the foliage. It is usually best to keep your plants away from automatic sprinkler systems as the frequent wetting of the foliage can lead to fungus diseases.
Since roses are heavy feeders, you will need to feed your plants monthly with a good quality fertilizer that is specially made for roses. Fertilizers that also contain an insecticide are also available. Water your fertilizer in after you apply unless the directions tell you different.
With roses, prevention is as good as gold. Since roses are very vulnerable to fungus and insects in our very moist climate, preventive spraying is a necessity. Use a good quality combination disease and insect control spray on your plants once every two weeks. Use weekly if problems already exist. Again, use a product that is specifically for roses. These products are available at all local garden centers.
Another important factor in rose care is pruning. Always prune the old flowers from the plant promptly. This will ensure a continuous parade of blooms throughout the season. Your cutting point should be three to five leaves below the old bloom you are cutting off. You should never leave old plant material or cuttings at the base of the plant.
If you follow these simple tips, a lush, aromatic rose garden will be at your beck and call throughout the season.
Now on to the Time Capsule……
November 7, l979 -- Palm Beach Co.-- A funnel cloud was observed briefly over Palm Beach Inlet.
November 8, l896 -- Union Co. -- A Tornado destroyed one home at Lake Butler.
November 9, l968 -- All Day -- Statewide -- A major storm from the Gulf of Mexico moved across north Florida. Most reporting stations had maximum sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, but several observers in the Tampa area reported gusts of 50 to 62 mph. At least a dozen tornadoes were reported over central and south Florida as a squall line swept across the peninsula south of the low. -- Collier/Hendry Counties -- A tornado struck near Naples, toppling a 705-ft tower and flattening a hunting camp. It swept through a labor camp and toppled a dozen houses. Two persons were killed, and two injured, when their trailer was carried 25 ft and demolished. Seventeen other injuries were also reported. -- A tornado moved northeast through Tampa, Plant City, Lakeland, and Windermere injuring three. -- Brevard, Melbourne -- A tornado, described as a "white swirling mass" unroofed one building and broke several plate glass windows at the Melbourne Shopping Center and Brevard Mall. Other tornadoes in Pasco, Sumter, Sarasota, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties injured eight people.
November l0, l963 -- Charlotte Co., Punta Gorda -- A tornado unroofed four houses and damaged l0 others in Harbour Heights. -- Indian River Co., Wabasso -- A tornado moved from SW to NW and then out to sea damaging l0 homes. Several citrus trees were uprooted.
November 11, l947 -- early morning -- Washington Co. -- A tornado unroofed or tore apart a dozen homes at Ebro. -- Okaloosa Co., Eglin Field -- A tornado damaged three large planes and wrecked a barracks injuring 15 people. -- Taylor Co. - A tornado was reported in Perry.
November 11, l968 -- All Day -- Statewide -- Second major storm in three days arrived from the Gulf of Mexico and crossed north Florida. Most reporting stations had maximum sustained winds of 25 to 45 mph, but observers in the Tampa Bay area reported gusts of 50 to 75 mph. Tides at Tarpon Springs were 3ft. above normal at 3pm. Over a dozen tornado/waterspouts/funnel clouds were reported in central and south Florida. The strongest tornado crossed Collier and /Hendry Cos., damaging l7 homes in Naples. Five homes were unroofed and torn apart. It skipped over to Clewiston destroying a barn and injuring three men.
November 11-12, 1980 -- Monroe Co. -- Heavy rain -- More than 23 inches of rain fell on Key West. This is greatest 24-hour amount ever recorded in Key West. Widespread flooding caused heavy damage to about 300 cars and 500 homes and businesses. Five waterspouts were sighted during the afternoon of the 12th.
November l2, l979 -- Martin Co. -- A funnel cloud hovered for l0 minutes over St. Lucie River near Stuart then retreated without touching down.
November13, 1969 -- afternoon -- north central Florida -- Tornado struck Beville's Corner (south west of Leesburg) in Sumter Co., damaged 10 buildings, three homes, and 11 mobile homes - injuring one. Two were killed in a traffic accident on SR 476 near the tornado site. Another tornado struck Inverness in Citrus County, damaging trailers. Hail reported up to l l/2" in Brevard and Baker Cos. Lightning caused a fire in Lake Wales (Polk Co.) that destroyed an auto parts shop and a car.
November13-l6, l994 -- south, east central, and northeast Florida -- Tropical Storm Gordon -- after a serpentine track through the Caribbean Sea, Gordon began affecting south Florida on the l3th when located off the northeast coast of Cuba. Gordon moved slowly west-northwest, reaching the lower Florida Keys late on the l5th. On the l6th, Gordon turned northeast and accelerated, moving inland near Ft. Myers in the morning and exiting into the Atlantic just north of Vero Beach in the late afternoon. After becoming a hurricane off the coast of North Carolina, then weakening to a tropical depression and moving south and west, Gordon moved ashore a second time just north of Melbourne on the 21st.
The maximum sustained wind was 53 mph at Virginia Key in east Dade County, and the minimum central pressure was 995 MB shortly after initial landfall near Ft. Myers. Gordon directly caused eight fatalities and 43 injuries. Seven of the deaths were by drowning, five in the Atlantic off the southeast coast, and two when cars plunged into canals in Dade County. One death and 40 injuries resulted from a tornado in Brevard County, one of six tornadoes spun off by Gordon on the evening of the 15th. There were three indirect deaths, one from a heart attack while pushing a car stalled in a flooded road, and two in traffic accidents. Gordon's total damage is estimated around $400 million. Agricultural interests suffered $275 million in losses, primarily from freshwater flooding caused by widespread rainfalls totaling six to l6 inches. Vegetable and tropical fruit crops in south Florida were particularly hard hit. Inland flooding caused damage to buildings through both rising freshwater and collapse of rain-loaded roofs. Especially hard hit was Volusia County where l236 buildings (977 single family homes, 68 mobile homes and l39 multi-family buildings) reported flood damage, and losses were estimated at over $26 million. Public works suffered from the effects of both water and wind with damage to roadways, sewer facilities, utility lines and signs. Marine effects included several boat sinkings or groundings, including a 506-foot freighter beached off Ft. Lauderdale. At least 37 people were rescued from sinking boats. One woman was rescued after being swept l000 yards off a fishing pier in Boynton Beach. Atlantic beaches suffered moderate to locally severe erosion that undermined a few buildings. Several sea walls and beach access walks were destroyed. Some coastal roads along the east coast were inundated by a storm tide, estimated to be a maximum of one to two feet along Miami Beach.